voyager35
01-25-2009, 10:43 AM
Stay warm on the water Written by Dan Armitage For LSONews.com Wednesday, 21 January 2009
http://www.lsonews.com/images/stories/fishing/Staywarm.jpg
SAVING FACE: A boater dons a Fish Hedz helmet to help keep warm on a frigid winter fishing trip. Photo by Dan Armitage.
Some of the hottest fishing and hunting takes place during the coldest part of the season, when getting anywhere by boat boosts the wind chill factor, and staying warm and comfortable takes considerable effort. It’s no secret that more than half a body’s heat can be lost through the head, and hats and caps are standard attire for hunters and anglers no matter the air temperature. But this time of year, when Texas temps can be downright frosty, it’s wise to trade in the traditional “gimme” ball caps for something more substantial.
In addition to an insulated cap or hat, when underway aboard their boats, anglers can don ski goggles, bubble shields, face masks or snowmobile helmets to protect them from sub-freezing wind chills generated by their fleet forward progress through the cold air. Chemical heat packs may be employed under the headgear as well, stuffed under caps and ear bands, and you’ll often see winter anglers saving face by wearing heat-exchanging masks, such as those from Polar Wrap that “recycle” exhaled air to help keep the face and body warm, while boating between fishing holes or hunting blinds.
The brain’s first line of defense when the going gets so cold it threatens the core body temperature is to restrict blood flow to the expendable extremities and concentrate its life-sustaining warmth on the more essential internal organs. That’s why ears, fingers and toes are the first to feel the chill and suffer the consequences of bone-chilling temperatures. Cold-weather anglers know to buy boots a size larger than their shoe size to allow room for a liner and a thick wool sock while allowing their toes to wiggle to keep that blood flowing. Some tuck a chemical heater pack in each boot, placing it between the liner and the primary sock so it’s not directly against the skin, for an additional, external heat source. Grabber offers pairs of sole-shaped heater inserts, called the Foot Warmer, that are popular and warm the entire foot from the bottom up.
Electric socks containing heating elements are a toe-warming option as well. Battery-powered socks are available from a variety of sources, and at least one company offers socks that can be powered from your boat’s 12-volt electrical system. The problem with portable, battery-powered socks is that, unless they have an adjustable thermostat, the heating elements typically offer too much heat at first — and too little later — to offer consistent, long-term toe comfort.
Fingers are the digits most important to fishermen, and keeping them warm yet available for tying knots, baiting hooks, cranking reel handles and operating a boat in frigid temperatures is a challenge. Fingerless gloves work well when lined pockets or external heat sources are handy, but those that combine a flip-over mitt, such as the glomitt, are better. Because they keep the fingers together to share their generated heat, mittens are warmer that gloves, so the combo-convertible styles offer the best of both worlds by keeping fingers warm yet instantly accessible.
So does a muff or hand warmer, worn around the waist, in which you can place chemical heater packs to complement the insulation. The Firepod takes that one step further by offering a fleece-lined muff that contains two electric hand warmers that can be recharged or powered directly off the boat’s 12-volt accessory receptacle.
The Firepod isn’t the only 12-volt-powered heating device available to cold-weather boaters.
Electrically heated outdoor apparel from Gerbings Outdoors such as socks, gloves, mitts, vests and seat warmers can be inter-connected and plugged into a boat’s 12-volt system. Most popular among extreme cold weather anglers is Gerbing’s Element Edge suit, which includes a jacket and bibs that are plugged into a boat’s 12-volt receptacle. For the do-it-yourselfer, Gorix heated cloth is woven with a 12-volt-powered heating element and can be used to make custom-heated boat seats, apparel and accessories.
http://www.lsonews.com/images/stories/fishing/Staywarm.jpg
SAVING FACE: A boater dons a Fish Hedz helmet to help keep warm on a frigid winter fishing trip. Photo by Dan Armitage.
Some of the hottest fishing and hunting takes place during the coldest part of the season, when getting anywhere by boat boosts the wind chill factor, and staying warm and comfortable takes considerable effort. It’s no secret that more than half a body’s heat can be lost through the head, and hats and caps are standard attire for hunters and anglers no matter the air temperature. But this time of year, when Texas temps can be downright frosty, it’s wise to trade in the traditional “gimme” ball caps for something more substantial.
In addition to an insulated cap or hat, when underway aboard their boats, anglers can don ski goggles, bubble shields, face masks or snowmobile helmets to protect them from sub-freezing wind chills generated by their fleet forward progress through the cold air. Chemical heat packs may be employed under the headgear as well, stuffed under caps and ear bands, and you’ll often see winter anglers saving face by wearing heat-exchanging masks, such as those from Polar Wrap that “recycle” exhaled air to help keep the face and body warm, while boating between fishing holes or hunting blinds.
The brain’s first line of defense when the going gets so cold it threatens the core body temperature is to restrict blood flow to the expendable extremities and concentrate its life-sustaining warmth on the more essential internal organs. That’s why ears, fingers and toes are the first to feel the chill and suffer the consequences of bone-chilling temperatures. Cold-weather anglers know to buy boots a size larger than their shoe size to allow room for a liner and a thick wool sock while allowing their toes to wiggle to keep that blood flowing. Some tuck a chemical heater pack in each boot, placing it between the liner and the primary sock so it’s not directly against the skin, for an additional, external heat source. Grabber offers pairs of sole-shaped heater inserts, called the Foot Warmer, that are popular and warm the entire foot from the bottom up.
Electric socks containing heating elements are a toe-warming option as well. Battery-powered socks are available from a variety of sources, and at least one company offers socks that can be powered from your boat’s 12-volt electrical system. The problem with portable, battery-powered socks is that, unless they have an adjustable thermostat, the heating elements typically offer too much heat at first — and too little later — to offer consistent, long-term toe comfort.
Fingers are the digits most important to fishermen, and keeping them warm yet available for tying knots, baiting hooks, cranking reel handles and operating a boat in frigid temperatures is a challenge. Fingerless gloves work well when lined pockets or external heat sources are handy, but those that combine a flip-over mitt, such as the glomitt, are better. Because they keep the fingers together to share their generated heat, mittens are warmer that gloves, so the combo-convertible styles offer the best of both worlds by keeping fingers warm yet instantly accessible.
So does a muff or hand warmer, worn around the waist, in which you can place chemical heater packs to complement the insulation. The Firepod takes that one step further by offering a fleece-lined muff that contains two electric hand warmers that can be recharged or powered directly off the boat’s 12-volt accessory receptacle.
The Firepod isn’t the only 12-volt-powered heating device available to cold-weather boaters.
Electrically heated outdoor apparel from Gerbings Outdoors such as socks, gloves, mitts, vests and seat warmers can be inter-connected and plugged into a boat’s 12-volt system. Most popular among extreme cold weather anglers is Gerbing’s Element Edge suit, which includes a jacket and bibs that are plugged into a boat’s 12-volt receptacle. For the do-it-yourselfer, Gorix heated cloth is woven with a 12-volt-powered heating element and can be used to make custom-heated boat seats, apparel and accessories.